Oman: The local population constituted 61.2 percent of the national population compared to 38.8 expatriates as of May 15, 2021. The expatriates’ population constituted 38.9 percent at the end of March this year.

The total population of the Sultanate is 4,507,468, including 2,757,983 Omanis and 1,749,485 expatriates.Oman’s population saw a dip of 2.97 percent at the end of March this year from a year ago.

The most significant drop was in Muscat (- 8.84 percent), Dhofar (- 6.85 percent), and Al Dhahirah (- 3.6 percent). The governorate of Al Wusta, where Duqm is situated saw a population growth of 1.19 percent.

Among the expatriate nationalities, the Indian population declined by 17.4 percent to 492,3260 between March 2020 and 2021, followed by Bangladesh expatriates (11 percent), Pakistanis (8.4), and Filipinos (7 percent).

The most significant drop has been among expatriates working in clerical positions (35 percent), administration, directors, and managers (12.1 percent).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour has reaffirmed that shopping malls and supermarkets will have to adhere to ministerial decision 8/2021, which stipulates that some professions in shopping malls and supermarkets will be restricted to Omanis on July 20, 2021.

The following professions in shopping malls and supermarkets will be limited to Omanis — professionals in customer service, cashier, currency exchange, administration, and shelf-stackers.

The ministry has urged everyone to adhere to the decision mentioned above to avoid penalties against violators.

Work visas for the above-mentioned occupations will not be renewed for non-Omani workers after expiry.

Omanisation in large commercial establishments is feasible. It has been well-received, said the Minister of Manpower recently in an interview.

“Some other countries have also completely Omanized these sectors, and after a study, we found that it is easy to apply in Oman. Even if there is a need for corporate training, there are solutions, and we have opened part-time work students in universities and for housewives’’, Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain, Minister of Labour.